By Krishika Dinesh Rathod
On Monday, Bhagwant Mann, chief minister of Punjab, denounced the attempt to harm a statue of B R Ambedkar in Amritsar and promised that the matter will be handled strictly.
A man from the Moga district of Punjab was apprehended by the police on Sunday. He was charged with attempting to vandalise the Ambedkar statue located at the Town Hall on Heritage Street, which is the path that leads to the Golden Temple.
Mann added on an X post that the incident is completely unacceptable and that no one will be pardoned. “The person who caused the incident will face harsh consequences. The unity and brotherhood of Punjab will not be broken by anyone,” Mann declared.
“Instructions have been issued to the administration to investigate it and take strict action against the culprits,” the chief minister added.
The accused was seen using a long steel ladder and a hammer to climb up the statue in a rumoured video of the incident that became popular on social media.
Union Minister and leader of the RPI (A), Ramdas Athawale, condemned the incident and announced that his party members would protest throughout Maharashtra and Punjab. He urged a thorough investigation and said that the incident was caused by the Bhagwant Mann regime in Punjab.
The state’s opposition leaders also strongly rejected the occurrence, with some claiming that a “deep-rooted” conspiracy may have been involved and that it requires more investigation. Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the leader of the Punjab Congress and a member of the party, said that there might be a “deep-rooted” conspiracy at play.
Warring demanded, “There should be a high-level probe,” Tarun Chugh, a top BJP politician, stated that the offender ought to receive severe punishment. He stated that the plot must be discovered.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, the head of the Shiromani Akali Dal, also strongly rejected the incident and called for an extensive investigation to identify the “conspiracy” behind it. “On Republic Day, we strongly condemn the effort to damage the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar ji in Sri Amritsar Sahib’s Heritage Street. Millions of people have been offended by these horrible actions. I call for harsh punishment for the offender and a comprehensive investigation to find the plot behind this ignominious event. Let’s unite in opposition to such heinous attempts to sow discord in our community.” Badal shared on X.